HUNDREDS of drivers from Surrey and Sussex have been stopped and caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel during a week-long crackdown to put a stop to the dangerous driving habit.

In the latest drive to stop people using mobiles, more than 300 motorists who were spotted making calls, texting and recording videos or surfing the web were targeted on the road network across Surrey.

A total of 323 vehicles were stopped during the “It Can Wait” campaign which ran from January 23-29.

Officers from Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit supported a national week of action which saw 223 mobile phone-related offences detected across the county.

They stopped 39 motorists for other distraction offences, which can include eating reading and fiddling with car controls – from programming sat nav system to altering the climate control system – while driving.

A total of 249 fixed penalty notices were issued while 42 drivers were given verbal warnings and 14 were summonsed to court. Five more will be attending driver education courses.

Of those stopped, 276 were men, 284 were over 25 and the most offences were clocked on the motorway – with 262 recorded.

The majority were driving a car – 195 motorists, 80 were van drivers and 45 were at the wheel of a lorry.

The motorists were made aware of the new legislation relating to the use of a hand-held mobile while driving which will see the fixed penalty fine double from £100 to £200 and the penalty points for the offence increase from three to six points.

The changes are due to come into effect from March 1 and can mean a new driver could lose their licence if they are caught using their phone just once.

• MORE than 200 motorists were caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel across Hampshire – including one van driver checking his bank account.

He was stopped on the M27 after using his phone to see if his final payment had gone through for a court fine having been caught previously using his phone while driving. A total of 204 drivers were stopped as part of the nationwide clampdown. Seventeen more were stopped for being distracted while driving – 166 were men, 180 were issued with fixed-penalty notices.

A total of 132 were driving cars, and 61 vans.

Most (130) were pulled over on urban roads, with 55 being pulled up on motorways. A delivery van driver from Wales stopped on the M27 admitted it was the third time in three weeks he had been stopped for the same offence. He was given a fixed-penalty notice.

Sergeant Rob Heard said: “Many lives are being put at risk by the selfish actions of some people and it is not acceptable. Turn your phone off, and put it out of reach so you won’t be tempted.”“That moment of inattention really is the difference between life and death – it is not worth the risk.”